Stepping on Butterflies
by MissScarlettJ
Summary: Eric Evens never really got the hang of his last life, never really found his place. So when Death offered him one last chance to complete his destiny, he didn't hesitate in saying yes. MaleOC! Insert-fic! Eventual slash! ABANDONED! REWRITTEN as Lilies in Thorns!
1. Prologue

I died much too young in my first life. At the young age of 17 I never really had a chance to live . . . well kind of.

I was born into a fairly well-off family, and by well-off I mean filthy rich. I was spoiled rotten, never once did I hear the word 'no' until school came along and even than it was a rare occurrence. Like many children with rich parents I was raised by a nanny, the only time I knew for certain my parents would be home was Christmas and my birthday, and that was only for show. But even that stopped being a definite as I got older. I mean who cares about their only son's eighth birthday, right?

It was around the age of 9 that I first got the idea that if I did something completely unacceptable, my parents would be forced to pay attention to me; two weeks later I got my first in many piercings. When that didn't work I ended up doing bolder things to try to get my parents attention. By the time I was 13 I had five earrings on one ear and three on the other, my hair was dyed bright red, and I had managed to get a tattoo on each arm. You could really get anything through bribes. But not once did these little acts of rebellion get my parents attention.

Through my life wasn't only composted of failed rebellion, it was also full of adventure, humor, and romance . . . through books of course. From Twilight, to Oliver Twist, I read every book I could get my hands, which happens to be a lot when you have a library in your mansion. But out of all the books I read, the Harry Potter series was always my favorite. In fact it was because of a dream I had at 14 about one Draco Malfoy that I realized who I really was. That's right folks I discovered I was gay through an erotic dream about Draco Malfoy. I'm just that awesome.

Gay or not I grew up getting anything I wanted whenever I wanted and I quickly got that to apply to men too. Gay, straight, rich or poor I could get almost all of them in my bed, no man alive could resist my sexy bad boy appeal. Not that any of them could hold my attention for long, none of the many nameless men I slept with bothered to look beyond my surface, not one of them asked where my parents were or ever wondered if I was okay with the fact they didn't come home for my birthday. All they ever saw was the expensive designer labels and steel earrings.

It was an early spring day when that life finally ended. After ditching yet another inconsiderate _boyfriend,_ I had decided to walk the three mile path home from my private school for time to think. It happened fast, there was a screech of tires, a girl screaming, and then pain. A blinding, sharp pain. My last coherent thought of that life was that I'd never even get to try the new iPhone 6. . .

* * *

What came after dying was nothing was what I expected. I was expecting shirtless hot guys surrounding me and catering to my _every _need. Well that or these burning fires of hell that so many people yelled that I was heading to. Instead I got the all too familiar inside of the car that had driven me around most of my life.

The car held a lot of memories for me both good and bad. It was the car that drove me to school every morning and the car that drove me back. It was also the car that drove me to the many birthday parties that featured my parents absent. All in all it was the car that most represented change in my life, which could only mean one thing. . . That the Harry Potter books were right about the afterlife!

I chuckled and threw my head back on the seat. I love being right about things.

"Don't tell me you're happy about dying?" A childish voice sounded from the seat next to me.

I turned my head to my right so quickly I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash. Well on second thought not that surprised given I was dead and all. Anyway, next to me sat a girl that couldn't be older than ten. She had long black hair that hid her pale face from view. A misty robe graced her body and covered all of her except for her tiny pasty hands. In other words she was creepy as hell.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, trying my very best to keep the fear out of my voice.

Slowly her head turned towards me, her raven hair dragging across her lap as it turned. Once her head was facing me she tilted it back causing her hair to fall away from her face and reveal her ashen completion. A terrifying smile stretched across her face.

"I'm Death, it's nice to see you again!" she chirped.

I tried my best to process that the tiny girl in front of me was Death, but just wouldn't compute through my absolute terror.

"You're _Death_." I repeated incredulously.

"Yep!" She answered, her little head bobbing as if she was listening to music.

"As in The Grim reaper, Death?"

"Mmhm"

I stared at the miniature girl in front of me, still trying to process that she was _The_ Death.

"Moving on-" Death started cheerily.

"Wait did you say 'again'?" I interrupted, my mind finally catching up.

Death glared at me, causing me to cower back.

"As I was saying." She started again in the same tone as before as if I hadn't spoke up. "We've met before now, you just don't _remember_ it."

"Why not?" I asked still wary of the girl's glare.

"I mean that you keep _dying_ before you can complete the task set for your soul. So I keep having to come and send you back."

I looked at her even more confused than ever. "I don't understand, I think I would remember if I had _died_ before."

Death bobbed her head again. "Yes, you would remember if you died more than once in a single _lifetime_."

"I don't remember dying."

Death looked at me like I was missing something obvious. Then it hit me. She had said single lifetime, as if I had more than one.

"So you're saying." I swallowed uneasily. "That I have lived more than one lifetime."

Death's smile widened. "That's right!" She cheered.

"Why?" I asked

"Why what?"

"Why did you have to give me a new life? Why didn't you just send me back to my old life?"

"Well." She answered patiently. "Every time a soul's body dies before it completed its destiny, you have to recycle it into a new universe. Because the reason it died in before it could complete its task is because it wouldn't be able to that universe. Understand?"

"I think so." I nodded thoughtfully. "So what you're saying is that I died because I wouldn't be able to complete my destiny in that universe."

"That's right!"

I sat back, rubbing my piercings. "Do you talk to _every_ person who needs to be reborn?"

Death laughed. "Of course not." She said. "That would take much too long, I have assistants for that."

I gazed at the strange girl. "Then why are you here with me?"

"I take interest in the souls who die more than a hundred times without completing their destiny."

"I've died over a hundred times?!" I nearly yelled, sitting forward quickly.

"154 times to be exact." She answered happily. "It's a new record."

"I can't handle this." I groaned, rubbing at my eyes.

"No you _can't_." Death replied.

I looked over at her, fear creeping up in my chest. "What do you mean?"

She looked at me, a deadly serious look in her eyes. "I can't keep sending you back forever. Every time it scars you're soul. This is your last chance, if you can't get it right this time I'll have to destroy you."

"Destroy me?"

"You know, wipe you from existence."

"Okay, okay." I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "I just have to not die before I complete my destiny. . . Wait how am I supposed to do that if I don't remember I have a destiny to complete?"

Death smiled mysteriously. "Since these are extreme circumstances I have deiced to break one of my own rules."

When she paused I looked over at her curiously, silently urging her to continue.

"You are going to get to keep you memories." She applauded. "And as a bonus for reaching your last run, you get to choose which universe you're going into!"

A dark scythe, longer than twice her body, appeared in Death's left hand.

"Choose quickly, I have work to do." She said in an almost murderous voice.

Panicked at the sudden change in mood and the fast pace everything was moving at, I said the first thing that popped into my mind. "Harry Potter universe."

"Are you sure?" Death questioned.

"Yes." I answered, more confident than before.

"If I send you there I will send you all the way back to 1960. Can you handle that? Because If not this is your last chance to change it." She warned.

"I'm sure." I said in an even more confident tone than before. "Plus it's not like the butterfly effect thing is real or anything. . . Right?"

Death only smiled mysteriously, before swinging her scythe through me. Making the world as I knew it, fade away forever.


	2. Life as an infant sucks!

**AN-** Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Sorry this chapter took so long, but I was suffering from a serious case of writer's block. Also this is the longest chapter I have ever written. So while I will try my best to write chapters of similar length later on, don't expect them all to be the same length.

I apologize for any mistake's I might have missed.

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of the characters in it!

* * *

Being a baby sucked. Like _really_ sucked.

There was nothing to do except sleep and cry if I needed something. This actually might have been manageable, if I actually got to sleep through the pricing boredom. But sadly I wasn't alone in my brightly colored nursery, and the other occupant was not the quietest baby on the block.

No matter what the people, who I assumed were my new parents, did they couldn't silence the wailing creature. They tried to sing to it while walking around the room, tried to sing to it while in a rocking chair, tried singing it beetle songs, attempted to sing it Elvis songs, there was a lot of singing going on. But no matter what they sang to the imp, it never shut up.

Since I could complain using word, I just did what babies did best, I cried. I'm not sure if my new parents knew I was crying simply because I wanted the other one to shut up, or if they thought we were crying for the same reasons, either way they really didn't seem to appreciate it.

I not sure how long this deafening cycle went on, but I was pretty sure it had been weeks since I last slept. Sometimes the stranger baby would stop crying, so I would stop as well, and there was a few beautiful moments of quiet that could last forever. In those moments my eyes would start to shut, and peaceful sleep would approach.

Then it would start wailing louder than ever before.

"Rose I think we should take her to the hospital, with all this crying there has to be something wrong." A tired masculine voice sounded from above my crib.

I quieted my crying to sniveling.

"There is _nothing_ wrong with her John!" A slightly hysterical female voice answered. Rose maybe? "Eric is crying just as much and he is perfectly healthy."

Who's Eric?

John, who I assumed was the male voice, sighed. "He's only crying because he can't sleep while Lily is bawling at the top of her lungs."

Oh, me! I'm Eric!

Rose whimpered. "No they're just crying! That's all! It's what babies do! I think I know my own children_ John_!"

"Love." John soothed. "You deserve some sleep, we all do. But something is the matter with Lily and she needs to go to see a doctor."

"No." Rose was starting to sound slightly mad at this point. "She just- just . . . um . . . misses her twin! That's it she misses her twin. It must have been a shock to be separated so suddenly!"

"Rose." Johnathan pleaded. But Rose didn't listen. The weeping sound grew closer and closer, until it was right up next to me.

I prepared to start wailing once again, but then it got quiet. I waited, holding my breath in hope that the wonderful silence would not end. And it didn't, the room stayed quiet and the other baby's breathing evened out into sleep. Only seconds later I fell after her.

* * *

I didn't mind being a baby as much after everything quieted down some. Sure there was still terrible things about a baby, like breastfeeding and diaper changes, but I learned to accept them, and block them from thought.

I was extremely surprised when I realized that my twin Lily was in fact the Lily Evans. I mean it wasn't that hard to deduce after my new big sister _Petunia_ came home from her grandma's house. I have to admit that I had a bit of a freak out about this, but I calmed down quickly. After all what am I going to do about? This was my life now, and I was just going to have to get used to it.

After a few days my sight cleared. But days passed by slowly for infants so I had to find ways to entertain myself. This was no easy task, especially since I couldn't even sit up on my own.

One of the ways I found to pass the time, was watching my parents in everyday life. It felt like I was solving a puzzle and I couldn't wait to find the answer. In my past life I never really had a normal family home life. So everything about this life was foreign, I figured that if I watched and adapted now I wouldn't be as weird when I got old enough to interact coherently.

My new mother, Rose Evans, became much saner after some sleep and rapidly became a much better mother then my first had ever been. In the mornings she would wake up with me and Lil, and bring us done to the kitchen. She would dance around the kitchen to make breakfast while we watched from our highchairs with a bottle. Later a two year old Petunia would wander down the stairs fully dressed and most likely in the arms of my new father Johnathan Evans.

John would work during the week, which was something similar to my old father. However John was different from him in every other aspect. For one he stayed home all weekend and helped around the house, and when he got home from work he actually did beneficial thing like cook dinner. John was also great with us kids. He would make funny faces at Lily and me to make us laugh, he would tickle Petunia till she could barely breathe, and he would pretty much do anything to make us all laugh.

All in all I enjoyed life at the Evans household, even if I had only been with them for a few months.

I was around two and a half months when I realized I had no idea what I looked like, and just like that it became another activity for me. I would envision what I would like when I was older. Sometimes I would take Rose's flowing blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, then combine that with John's strong jaw and face structure. Other times I would have Rose's eyes but John's red hair, or vice versa. Most of all, though, I imaged myself looking exactly like the male version of Lily. Red hair and green eyes was something that I had always wanted, then add John's strong jaw and Rose's high cheek bones and I would like a Modern Greek god.

Here's to hoping!

* * *

It was a beautiful summer afternoon and the small park was nearly deserted. Sitting on a marble bench on the edge of the park was Rose Evans. She looked completely at peace despite the scorching temperatures. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a lose bun, with only a few strands of hair escaping the tie. Her simple floral print sundress that seemed to fit perfectly in the summer sun, it rest perfectly between modest and comfortable. She had one hand on each of the strollers in front of her, making sure that neither rolled down the hill with her twins sleeping inside. Her eyes were trained on her oldest, playing across the playground, to make sure her younger blonde didn't hurt herself.

Another woman walked up to Rose's park bench. Her apparel was so odd that it was sure to catch any sane person's eye. A neon pink blouse fell on her top in a flattering way. Its thin cloth allowing for cool air flow, looking as if the smallest drop of water could cause the fabric to turn see-through. The blouse was tucked into a dark, mid length, bright green skirt. Her greying red hair pulled into a ridiculously tight bun, which rested high on the women's head.

The odd woman strode towards the park bench with confidence. She was pushing a stroller much similar to the ones Rose's twins resided in. Maybe that is what drew her to Rose in the first place, but who was to say?

"Hello." The woman greeted, sitting in the park bench carefully, as if trying not to upset her hair.

"Hullo." Rose welcomed the stranger with a wide smile, not bothered in the least with the other woman's odd apparel.

The brunette smiled back at Rose's open hospitality, her hazel eyes sparkling with something akin to curiosity. "It's a beautiful day, don't you think?"

Rose leaned her head back to look at the cloudless sky. "Yes it is."

"I don't usually take my son, James, to the park," The woman said, gesturing to the stroller in front of her. "But how could I stay home on such a _beautiful_ day?"

Rose smiled and brought her gaze to the brown stroller. "How old is he?"

"Two months next week."

Rose smiled knowingly. "Is he your first?"

"How can you tell?"

"Your hesitation to take him out says it all." Rose's clear laugh echoed softly like bells. "When I had my first daughter I was terrified every time I took her out of the house. I always was so sure that something bad was going to happen to her. But it never did! That's her over there. Healthy as a horse. My mother used to tell me that God made children to be in the outdoors."

The ginger looked almost enchanted by the younger woman.

Rose laughed softly once again. "But you know what happened?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Rose smiled as if she was sharing the greatest secret of the universe. And the other woman it very nearly felt that way.

"Martha Potter." She introduced, holding hand out to shake.

Rose shock it firmly. "Rose Evans."

"How many children do you have Rose?" Martha asked.

"Three."

Martha raised her eyebrows in surprise, causing Rose to laugh.

"I love how that always seems to shock everyone."

Martha shock her head as if to rid herself of a trance. "It's just . . . that you look so young!"

"Thank you." Rose laughed. "But there is a secret to it."

"What's that?"

Rose leaned forward to whisper in the others ear. "Have twins."

This time Martha laughed her deep throaty laugh and gestured to the strollers in front of the blonde. "These are you're twins?"

"Yep!" Rose turned them closer, carefully as not to wake them.

Martha's eyes widen at the shock of the two's bright red hair, clearly expecting them to be blonde like their mother and sister.

"They take after their father." Rose answered the other's unasked question.

"How old are they?"

"Four months."

"Are they identical?" Martha inquired.

Rose laughed. "They do seem that way don't they?"

Martha looked up at her..

Rose pointed to the baby on her left smiling. "This one is Eric," she pointed to her right " and this is Lily."

Martha smiled. "It must be hard."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Having so many children."

"Yes." Rose answered easily. "But it's worth it in the end."

"Because you get wonderful children to love and cherish." Martha said.

"Well that too." Rose giggled, causing Martha to look back up at her. "Having so many children is worth it because you know they will never be alone, even after your gone. Plus the added bonus of not having to worry about spoiling them."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, when you have more than one kid, you have to treat them equally. It's much harder to spoil multiple children, 'cause you have to split you attention."

Martha nodded in understanding. "I can see how that-"

"Mama! Mama!" A young voice cried, running up to the two women.

Petunia Evans stood in front of the marble bench covered head to toe in mud and bawling her little blue eyes out.

"Oh! Darling what happened." Rose whispered.

"I-I fell in t-the mud." Petunia sniffled and attempted to bring her hands up to wipe at the tears, but was stopped by her mother.

"No darling don't rub your eye, you'll get mud in them."

Petunia cried even harder.

Rose stood and took the twin's stroller in one hand. "Come here Petunia let's get you home."

Rose started to walk away before remembering her companion on the bench. "Goodbye Martha! It was nice meeting you!"

"You as well Rose." Martha called back.

Martha smiled and looked down at her sleeping infant. She had learned a lot from Rose that day, however Martha would always grateful to the blond for one thing in particular. But that's a story for another time.

* * *

"I'm going to take Lily and Petunia out shopping with me." Rose told John one afternoon.

I looked up from where I was chewing on a block in my playpen. Why wasn't was I included in that sentence? I want to go shopping too! Tell her John!

"That's nice darling." John said, not even looking up from his newspaper.

No! What about me? I haven't been shopping in months! Take me! Take me!

"You'll watch Eric?" Rose asked.

"Is that even a question?"

Rose laughed and bent down to kiss John.

This was completely unreasonable! I want to go too! If Lily gets to go I get to go too!

Rose went to pick up Lily and I reacted like any former spoiled brat would. I grabbed onto Lily in a vice like hug and yelled:

"Mine!"

My new parents reeled back in shock. Their reaction confused me, then I realized what I had just done. I had said my first word. Well, at least it would help give everyone a hint of my character.

* * *

In my old life I was obsessed with the Harry Potter series, like seriously obsessed. So in order to pass time I would try and list off all things I remembered about the marauder's era in the books. It wasn't as easy as it sounds, even for a hard fan like me. First off I had to separate what was actually in the books and what I had just accepted as my head cannon. Then I had to theorize the things I already changed and how much I couldn't change without major consciences; like Harry not being born in the first place.

So sitting in my and Lily's playpen, I thought hard about what I could do to make sure Voldemort died in 1981, without taking my sister with him. It would be a hard task, and in all honesty I had no idea how I was going to do it. Luckily I had 21 years to figure it out. And for now I was just going to focus on the problem at hand.

Walking.

More specifically taking my first steps.

It was harder than it sounded, especially since I was only slightly bigger than a bread box.

I griped the playpen's bars and pulled myself to my feet. Waiting for for a moment to make sure I wasn't going to slip, then letting go of the bars and taking step forward. For a second I almost thought I was going to succeed. Then I fell on my ass.

A giggle sounded from the other side of the cage where my twin resided. I shot her an irritated glare. Like she could do any better.

Slowly I heaved myself back to my feet and tried again, and again, and again, and again. Then, on my one-hundred and forty-fourth try, it worked. I let go of the bars and instead of slipping, I managed a step, then another.

A gasp drew my attention to the kitchen doorway. Rose stood, one hand over her mouth, with unconcealed surprise plastered over her face. That was to be expected, after all I had all but skipped the crawling stage.

Unfortunately my first steps ended when Rose stole my focus, and I found myself once again on the floor. But who cares? I had accomplished my task and that was all that mattered for now.

* * *

My first Christmas in my new life was nothing too special. I suspected it was because Rose and John didn't want too much excitement for Lily and I's first Christmas. But I wasn't sure. Through all that really mattered after all was the fact that I got presents. Sure they weren't as lavish as my first life, however I got stuff that I really needed. Like plastic rings to chew on, and some of those shape blocks things.

After Christmas, New Year's passed on like a shadow, and next thing I knew it was my first birthday. Now sure this was supposed to be a quiet affair as well, but it didn't turn out that way.

The entire family was sitting at the table with the homemade birthday cake placed in the middle. Petunia was bouncing in her seat next to Rose with uncounseled excitement, clearly ready for the cake to be eaten. John sat across from them with both Lily and I in his lap.

Just as the singing ended, though before the candles were blown out, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Rose stood from her chair and walked out of the kitchen.

The front door was opened and muffled voices carried down the hall. After a few minutes the voices stopped and two sets of footprints started down the hall. The white kitchen door swung open reliving Rose and an unfamiliar women.

"Savanah?" John seemed taken completely off guard by the appearance of the new woman.

"Johnathan." Savanah greeted with strong American accent. "It has been too long."

"What are you doing here?" Confusion laced his voice.

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and I just thought I would stop by." The brunette answered nonchalantly.

"You live in New York City."

Savanah ignored him and pointed towards us. "Are those the new twins?"

"Indeed." Understanding lit up in John's green eyes. "Is that why you came? To see Eric?"

What? Why would this woman want to see me?

Savanah squared her shoulders in a defensive manner. "Well you did name him after my husband. Why wouldn't I want to see him?"

I was named after someone? Again? Damn it!

Now my anger might be a bit confusing, so let me explain. In my last life I was named after my grandfather. It was an annoying thing to constantly be compared to someone else like that.

Rose lifted me off of John's knee and handed me over to Savanah. "Here hold him."

The brunette awkwardly took me into her hands. She held me at arm's length and stared, obviously looking for something that reminds her of her husband. I waited for that moment she would realize I wasn't her husband, the moment I had seen so often in my last life. However that moment never came. Instead she placed me on her hip and smiled.

"He looks just like him." She whispered.

That's nice lady, can we have some cake before the candle's melt or are we going to have more, mushy family b0nding time?

"He does, doesn't he? Do remember when Eric. . . "

More mushy family bonding time, it is then.

* * *

**AN**\- I hoped you liked the newest chapter and hopefully the next one will be up soon!

If you have any questions or comments of any kind please do not hesitate to PM me or leave a review!

**Thanks!**

Lots of Love

Scarlett

**PS-** I know this is a cheesy thing to say, but reviews honestly make me write faster. =^^=


	3. Terrible twos

**AN- **Hey everyone! I'm sorry this took so long, but the combination of school work and writers block can be a terrible foe. Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter and I hope that I responded to every one of you! The next couple chapters- when Eric and Lily aren't yet Hogwarts-are going to be a bit skipy. One moment he might be two, then in the next section he will be three. This is because I don't feel like writing every single year in his childhood. But don't worry I'll properly label them so you know what's going on. Now this chapter isn't as long as the last one, but it's pretty close. I'm going to start asking a question at the end of every chapter to see how you guys feel about things that are going on in the story, please leave review and answer them.

I apologize for any misspellings or grammar mistakes I don't have a Beta but I am looking for one. Feel free to point out any mistakes in a review. And if anyone wants to me my Beta just PM me!

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- **I don't own the Harry Potter series and never will, all rights for that wonderful story belong to JK Rowling.

* * *

Eric Daniel Evans was 19 when he met Savanah Wilkins. She had been visiting London when they literally bumped into each other on the pier. They dated for about six months, and they fell more and more in love every day. He proposed to her at the very spot in which they had met, well close to it, and they were married within three months. The young couple been living happily for two years when the war started. Every man was enlisting, and Eric Daniel Evans and his older brother were no exception.

Both left their wives behind.

Only one returned.

21\. This number kept ringing throughout my mind, causing panic to swell in my small one year old head.

The Uncle I had been named after died a war hero at only 21. Now my adorable twin sister was going to surfer the same fate. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to save her, every solution I tried to think up was worse than the last.

I couldn't stop the prophecy from happening, or stop Voldemort from rising in power. I mean maybe I could kill Peter Pettigrew, but that sounded way too morbid.

Wait. Pettigrew was only secret keeper because Lily and James trusted him. So if I stopped them from trusting him than maybe, just maybe, I could save my little sister.

* * *

My second birthday seemed to come much faster than the last. Aunt Savanah left after about three months of spoiling me and ignoring my sisters. After that, nothing really happened. Life went on as normal, and before I knew it Lily and I were two.

Now I have heard adults refer to this period as 'The terrible twos' but I never really realized what they meant till I was living with, and was, a two year old.

It started as a normal day. Petunia was at a playdate and Mum had left us gated in the living room while she did some laundry. Lily and I were playing with some letter blocks- I liked making words out of them to remind myself I wasn't really two- when Lily suddenly stood up.

I look up at her curiously. "W'at doing?" I asked, scolding my terrible speech silently.

She shushed me loudly and waddled over to the baby gate that lead to the kitchen. She pulled at the plastic contraption, trying her best to get her chubby hands to be nibble like Mum's, I watched her pull at it for a few minutes before I finally got up to help the girl out. It took me about thirty seconds to figure out the latch and open the cage.

Lily gave me a little giggle, which made me smile at her cuteness, before toddling towards the table. I stood at the door frame for a few moments, before going in after my troublesome twin. She stood on her very tiptoes to peer up at whatever was on the table, I copied her action and gazed at what I stopped playing with my toys for. There sitting on the table was a couple of unopened finger paints. My eyes widened as Lily reached onto the table and grabbed the green one in her chubby hand.

Now I would like to say that I was mature and stopped her from making a mess. I would like to say that I did not grab any of the paints and instead got Mum. But then that would make me more of a liar than I already am.

Lily led the way as we tottered back into our confined area, making sure to close the gate behind us of course. The little ginger plopped herself down the hard wood floor and started to pry open the white lid. I sat myself next to her and started as the same task. It took us a little while, but eventually we managed to get the stupid things off.

About twenty minutes later the sound of the door opening makes us both freeze in out spots. We both at each other in that cheesy moment that I call the "Oh shit!" moment. We both looked down at our _beautiful _paintings and tried to rack our two year old minds for what we could do to get out of this.

But it was too late. Dad had paused to take off his shoes and jacket, but know he was walking straight towards us. He walked through the other white gate that blocked Lily and I from the hallway and started to smile down at us.

Then he noticed the paint.

It seemed to take a moment for Dad to process what he what he was seeing. However when he did process it he looked angry.

He took a deep breath and I braced myself for the yelling to start. But then he laughed. He laughed so hard that he had to brace himself on the doorframe to stay standing.

"John?" Mom's voice called out from where she was standing in the laundry room. "Is that you?"

Dad didn't even attempt to try and speak, instead he just leaned against the doorframe and let himself slide to the floor. Lily started to giggle beside me and before I knew it we were both laughing as hard as Dad was.

Footsteps carried into the living room and Mom appeared next to where Dad was sitting. Her gasped and completely shocked expression just made Dad, and by extension us, laugh harder.

"Oh my God." Mom whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth. "What happened?"

Dad just shrugged as his laughing finally died down to a reasonable level.

Mom sent him a horrified look. "How can you be_ laughing_ right now? Do you know how long this is going to take to clean up?"

Dad took a deep breath and pushed himself off of the floor. "I'm sorry love. It's just that I was thinking in the car about how Lily and Eric are so good and how there just going such easy kids. Then I walk in and here they are, painting pictures of aliens on the floor."

Hey these are bears!

Mom glared at him and pointed menacingly. "Then this is your fault, and you have to give them a bath."

Dad just smiled. "Okay love."

* * *

I loved baths, I loved everything about them. Well actually I only really like the bubbles.

I cupped my hands and scooped up a big bunch of bubble and blew them at Lily. She giggled and in response splashed water at me.

Dad laughed at our antics before wiping the last bit of red paint off of Lily's face with a cloth. "Okay, let's get you dressed."

I frowned at him. I didn't want to get out!

As if reading my mind he picked Lily out the water first and proceed to dry her with a towel and get her dressed in a clean purple dress.

He turned back to me. "Okay Eric time to get out."

I shook my head and crossed my arms. "No!"

Dad sighed patiently. "Come on Eric you have to get out or you'll turn into a prune."

"Na'ha." Liar.

"Ya'ha." Dad mocked back. "You'll get all wrinkly like Nana."

I looked at him suspiciously. Rationally I knew he was lying to get me out of the bath, but for some reason the thought still terrified me. I didn't want to get wrinkles!

I stared at him for moment, and stayed silent, but raised my arms making it clear I was complying.

Dad smirked triumphantly and lifted me out of the ceramic tub, drying me off quickly. Lily was already siting of the closed toilet waiting for us to be done, so Dad placed me on the counter to get me dressed.

I let him stuff a shirt and a tiny pair of jeans on me before I realized that there was a mirror behind me. I turned slowly and, for the first time in this life, saw my reflection.

Everything I had whished for had come true. I was pretty much a male version of Lily. My hair was dark red and my eyes were just slightly darker emeralds. It was hard to tell with my baby cheeks, but it seemed as if I had high cheek bones.

Only one thing bothered me. I had never noticed before how long my hair was getting and I didn't really like it.

I turned quickly to dad and in the best words I could I said. "I need a 'aircut."

* * *

_Age three_

The midsummer heat fell over me in wave of wonderful sunshine. I've always loved the heat and walking to the park I really got to bask in it. Mum was holding my left hand tight as if I would disappear if she let go. It was a reasonable fear, given I was known to run off when her back was turned. Usually I would be complaining and pulling at her vice like grip. But today Lily was clasping my other hand and the fear of my twin vanishing forever was enough to make me compliant.

Petunia was holding Mum's other hand and rattling on and on about how wonderful Cinderella was. Her sky blue dress was bouncing as she walked and her doll shoes shined with freshness. Mum nodded as needed and smile when Petunia said something that was supposed to funny. She too was wearing a sundress. It was made of beautiful purple silk and complemented her tan sandals perfectly. Lily skipped next to me, never going ahead or breaking the bond of held hands. She was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, with a little hat blocking the sun from her easy to burn face. I was dressed in the same type of outfit, but different colors. A visor cap with the logo of some football team block the sun as well.

The neighborhood playground was a small one. It had two swings, a jungle gym, and two slides. The ground was covered in a hard layer of asphalt, which, in my opinion, looked very dangerous if you were to fall on it. The playground it's self was situated on the top of a hill away from the rest of the houses. There was only one house that was visible from the hill and it was only a chimney.

On most days the small playground was pretty much deserted, but today was both a weekend and a beautiful day, and on beautiful days people tend to run to the outside.

As we approached the park, Lily looked at me and smiled her approval. My ginger twin didn't talk much, she preferred to watch and listen, so I had to learn her sign language. I mean it's not like she couldn't talk. She just didn't want to. It wasn't that bad, usually I just translated her body language to Mum or Dad and talked for her.

Petunia released Mom's hand the moment her foot hit the asphalt and took off towards the slides. Lily looked at me and gestured to the swings in a way that told me she wanted t0 go play. But I hesitated. There were kids at the swings and other kids made me weary. Lily and I didn't really go on playdates because all of Mom's friends had children Petunia's age. Plus Lily and I had each other to play with, we didn't need anyone else.

There were three other kids. One was older, a little younger than Petunia but still older than us. The other two were about Lily and I's age, one maybe a year younger. The older one seemed to be lost in her own world, but the other two seemed to be fighting over the left over swing. This meant that they were probably mean and I wasn't in the mood for mean.

Lily tugged on my arm again bringing my attention away from the other kids. She was no longer looking at the swings, instead her attention was focused behind us. I turned to see a strangely dressed brunette woman walking towards us.

Her hair was down covering the top of her bright pink tang-top. She wore overalls that were cut in to shorts and had brown boots up to her knees. Something seemed off about the woman, beside her clothes. She seemed out of place, like she was unconfutable and wished she was somewhere else.

I had a weird feeling in my gut and I took it as a warning sign. I didn't like this woman and I most certainly didn't like that she was headed right towards us.

My hand tightened on Lily's as she tapped on Mom's shoulder. Mom turned and her face lit up in recognition.

"'Martha!" She laughed, turning around and, by extension, us. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

Martha smiled back at my excited mom. "Well I'm glad you did."

"Of course, of course. Me as well." Mum leaned forward and gave Martha a one armed hug. "What have you been up too? How's your son? James was his name right?" Mom fired off with barely a breath not giving the other woman a chance to answer.

James. That name set warning bells off in my head.

Martha laughed. "James is wonderful, but he is quite the handful. Always getting up to mischief."

Mischief. James. This sent my head spinning. But it couldn't be, there are plenty of people named James. Right?

My hand tightened on Lily's making her look at me curiously. She knew I didn't like strangers, neither did she, but I was usually calmer about it.

"The twins are the same way." Mum continued, completely unware of my inner struggles. "Just the other day Eric dragged all the blankets in the house to the living room and draped them over chairs he stole from the kitchen."

It was a brilliant fort before the Mumster attacked and tore it down.

Martha laughed. "I'm so glad I ran into you, Rose." She said placing her hand on Mum's arm.

"Me too Martha."

"No. You don't understand." Martha shock her head. "I owe you so much."

Mom looked at the brunette strangely. "What do you mean?"

"If you hadn't said that thing about siblings I wouldn't have never tried to have another kid, especially at my age and after it took so long to get James."

Oh no. I don't like where this is going.

"And If I never had tried to have another kid I would have never had my second son. Joseph Morgan Potter."

There it was. Potter. The name I had been dreading since Mum said James. My hand turned into a death grip around Lily's.

"Oh that's wonderful." Mom exclaimed happily. "But you shouldn't be thanking me. If you thank anyone it should be the twins, I don't think I would have said what I said if I only had one child or even two."

_"It's not like the butterfly effect is real or anything."  
_

I was such an idiot.

* * *

**Question- **What do you guys think about James having a little brother? Love it? Hate It?

* * *

**AN: **So ya. . . I'm not sure what you guys are thinking right now so please leave a review and tell me.

**Review! **

Lots of love and Happy Valentines!

Scarlett


	4. Be careful not to fall

**AN- **I apologize for how long this took, but I won't bore you with excuses. So just sit back and enjoy the chapter!

**Warnings- **Eventual Slash, self-insert, twin fic.

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize from the book.

**Previously- **The Evans family ran into the Potters once again and Eric learned that his existence caused Martha Potter to have another son, Joseph Potter.

* * *

Joseph understood a lot of things. He understood that his uncle wasn't like the rest of his family, that he couldn't do the things that they could. He understood that his aunt marrying his uncle had been a big deal and had made it so his Mum's Mum and dad didn't want to see her anymore. And he understood that his aunt couldn't get kids, so that was why sometimes she would be happy and spoil Joseph and James, and that why sometimes she wouldn't be able to look at them.

But he didn't understand, not one bit, why the boy with fire instead of hair had started to cry. Joseph hadn't seen him fall or hurt himself, and he knew that the fire was just a special hair color, so there shouldn't be any reason for the boy to be crying like he was. It just didn't make sense, and Joseph didn't like it when things didn't make sense.

He needed to know, he couldn't stand the sight of the boy crying like he was.

So he did what he always did when he didn't like something, he set out to fix it. Of course in this case setting out to fix it involved tugging on his mother and asking why the boy was crying. But even she didn't know. That left one option, he had to ask the boy in question.

He walked up until he was standing just over the shoulder of the boy's mother. "Why are you crying?"

The boy seemed to be shocked out of whatever state he had been in before. Bright green eyes locked onto Joseph's smaller form and he couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks.

"Joseph!" His Mum sounded like she had when James threw a drink at the waiter. "Apologize at once for your rudeness!"

Joseph furrowed his eyebrows and brought his eyes to his Mum's identical hazel ones.

* * *

I could almost laugh at the look of utter confusion the adorable Joseph Potter was currently sporting. The little boy probably had no idea what he was supposed to be apologizing for.

Sure the boy could possibly mess up every plan for the future I had made in the last three years, but I could totally forgive that for the lovable way he scrunched up his nose. It just made me want to squeeze his little two year old cheeks.

"It's fine." Mum smiled at Joseph like he was one of her seeds that had finally sprouted in her garden. "The adorable guy was just divulging his curiosity."

Martha gave Mum that look that people got around her sometimes, I knew the look well. Dad once told me that Mum was so kind that people couldn't seem to comprehend that she existed. I had a feeling he knew that out of personal experience.

"You see," Mum started to root through her purse until she pulled out a familiar container. "Eric got a sunburn, but this aloe will make everything better. I make it myself.'

Huh, I didn't know that. With the brand name and everything I had assumed that she bought it. Though it did make sense, Mum wasn't really the kind of woman just to sit at home while her husband provided with his police job. Plus it explained her obsession with plants.

Joseph seemed to be transfixed as Mum applied the gel like substance. "'ow does it wowk?"

"Magic." Mum sent him a wink and closed up the container.

Lily retook my hand and sent me an inquiring look. I gave her a nod saying I'm okay, before giving her arm a slight pull. "Let's go p'ay."

She gave me a smile that only she could make brighter than the sun and darted off toward the swings, me in tow.

* * *

Age five

Lightening cut across the sky with the sharp crack of thunder only seconds behind. The rolling sound reverberated across the clouds and came to rest in Lily's ears, making her jerk in unsuppressed fear. Rationally she knew that the sound couldn't hurt her, but that didn't make any less terrifying.

Her eyes guided over to where her twin sleep undisturbed on the other side of their room. She wanted more than anything to crawl under his covers and cuddle up to his warm body and listen to his calming words. But the first day of primary school was tomorrow and that meant that Lily was a big girl, no matter what Petunia said, and big girls didn't sleep in the same bed as their brother. They didn't need to.

Another crack of lightening reached her ears and this time the flash of light was enough to break whatever resolve the five year old had.

Lily's feet slipped silently across the green carpet and each step made her regret her decision more. Petunia calling her a baby rang through her head and just as she reached the edge of her twin's bed she decided it was just better if she went back to her own bed. Then the next roll of thunder broke through the air suddenly and Lily couldn't hold back the shriek of fear that it called from her.

Eric's eyes bolted open like his twin's shriek had been a cup of cold water. His eyes darted around the room until the sight of Lily in front of him calmed the rabid movement. He seemed confused for a Mument, then thunder cracked its cruel whip and Lily's was forced to cover her mouth to prevent another scream to break free.

Eric's green eyes visibly softened at her fear and he lifted his covers to welcome her in. Lily wasted no time in sliding under the warm covers. She rested her head on the pillow next to his and stared into his green eyes.

"Don't be 'fraid of thunder Lily." He whispered, taking her hand in his. "Thunder is only the angels bowling."

A giggle found its way out of the young girl, before she knew it her eyes got too heavy to keep open and she feel into sleep to the lullaby of rain and the image of her brother's smile.

* * *

School was hell. Sure I had been expecting for it to be boring, seeing as I already knew everything, and I had thought it would be annoying, seeing as I had to pretend not to know anything so I wouldn't be labeled a genius, but I never truly realized the fact that I was going to public school. It was completely alien to me, I had always gone to private schools in my last life and I had become accustomed to a certain treatment.

And after a certain incident involving a ruler, a slide, and three other boys. I decided that maybe I just wasn't cut out for the pains of being middle class. Sadly I had no choice and I had to continue going to the torture they called primary school. At least it got slightly more exciting when Lily turned the teacher's hair blue when he told her that she had no talent for painting. But that wasn't all that unexpected. I knew Lily was a witch, I more worried about my possibly non-existent magic.

* * *

Age six

This was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea that was all Petunia's fault.

Said girl was standing a few feet away in a stance of perfect stubbornness. I mirrored her stance, occasionally sending her piercing glares when I wasn't too busy watching my twin sister climb higher and higher up the enormous oak tree.

"Just take it back." I hissed at my older sister.

Her jaw setting was the only sign that the nine year old had hear my plea.

"She's going to fall and I'll tell Mum you dared her to do it!"

Still no response.

"She could break her neck and die!"

That warranted an uneasy shift.

"Then I'll never forgive you."

Wrong thing to say. Petunia whirled towards me, a look of pure fury clouding her horse like features. "You think that I care if you forgive me brat?"

That hurt a little more than I expected, especially since me and Petunia had never gotten along. "Your right, I shouldn't have assumed you are a decent enough of a human to care what your own brother thinks of you."

"You aren't my brother." A sneer twisted into her features. "You're just the reason my Mum and dad have no time for me! I wish that you had never been born and I only had to deal with Lily!"

"I hate you!" I hadn't expected that, and I hadn't meant for it to come out so loudly.

Petunia looked as if I had cut up her favorite dress. She lifted a hand up to her face and darted away like I was chasing her with a chainsaw. I knew it wouldn't take long for her to reach the other side of the woods where our house was. Then she would cry to dad that I said I hated her and completely leave out the part about what she had said to me.

So it was a matter of time before dad came storming into the woods to give his speech about how he wished he hadn't fought with his brother as much when he had been alive. I only had to wait until then to get Lily out of this tree and onto the safe ground.

"Why did you say that?" Lily called down from where she was nearly ten meters up. She obviously didn't hear the rest of the conversation.

I pushed down the tears that were threating my young body. "I'll tell you when you come down."

"I have to get to the top first."

"No." I shook my head quickly. "You need to come down, before you fall."

"I have to prove Petunia that I'm not a useless baby." Our big sister always brought out the convection in her. "And apparently I have to prove to you I won't fall."

No! That's not what I meant for her to do!

She reached for the next place she was going to hold onto and tested its stability, before stepping up into another branch. But she forgot to test that before trusting it with her weight, and it betrayed her, snapping underneath her feet.

Time slowed, Lily fell to earth and I had no control. She was going to hit the ground, she was going get hurt, and she was going to die. The ground was unforgiving, her back arched in pain as her ruby head hit the ground.

She went limp, her usual emerald eyes hidden behind pale lids and darker red than our hair dyeing so many parts of her. She was my twin, my best friend.

And so I screamed. Louder than when I screamed at Petunia, louder than I had ever screamed in either of my lives. But that was nothing compared to the crack that broke through the forest like a gunshot.

* * *

John had already been heading through the forest, set on getting to his son and teaching him that he couldn't tell his sister he hated her, when the scream came from the direction the twins were. At first he froze, a million different scenarios running through his greying head. Then came the gunshot.

Memories of the war he had fought in, of the brother that he lost to it, flashed quickly in his mind. He started to run, pushing vines and branches out of his way, not caring about the sharp sting that they left. He couldn't let his son die the same way his uncle had.

He broke into the clearing that Petunia had promised they had been in, and a sight he had not expected greeted him.

There was no gun man, or any man at all. Instead Eric was standing alone, staring down at the bloodied body of his sister.

John didn't waste another minute, rushing forward he knelt down to his daughter and pressed two fingers right under her jaw. The steady pushing against his hand told him immediately that his little girl was not dead.

A little bit of the weight came off of John, but there were no sign of bullet wounds his head snapped up to his son. "Eric, tell me what happened."

The seven year old's eyes were locked onto his twin. He didn't show any signs of hearing John until he took in a much too shaky breath and started to hyperventilate. "I told her to- I said she would fall- wouldn't come down-"

His son was struggling for breath, and his daughter was bleeding heavily. He needed help, he need Rose. But she was at a convention that could help make her business big. He was alone.

Then his prayers were answered in the most unusual way when a dark haired woman burst through the bushes.

And she noticed something he never would.

* * *

Martha had been on a walk. She had one of her many fights with her sister and decided it would be better for everyone if she were to just cool off in the woods. Sometimes she wondered why she put herself through this every other year. Sure she loved her sister, but she was unstable around children ever since she had found that she was barren. It's not that Isabella would hit the kids or anything, she would just snap at them at the tiniest things, or spoil them rotten before ignoring them completely.

She and Martha always ended up fight so offend during these summers, and Martha always need to cool off after the fight. So she used the woods she found up the road some to take a nice summer walk and put all of worries out of her mind. But she was not expecting to hear a child's scream and deafening crack.

She had run as fast as she could and when she burst through the bushes she had been treated with a sight she had hoped not to. A man was bent down over a bloody girl and a boy standing in front of them that seemed to be having a panic attack.

The man was unmistakably the children's father, with matching hair and when he looked up his eyes were a shade of green she had only seen once before. On the children of a one Rose Evans.

_They take after their father. _That's what Rose had said to her that first day they met, and now she could see how right the statement was.

But she had more important things to think about than how much the children looked like their father. Like how the tree above them with the huge crack in it was still cracking, and if it continued it would crush the family.

The tree was cracking too fast and too quietly for the process to be natural, but Martha had no clue what could be causing magic like that. Then she remembered something. The crack had come after the scream, and the scream had no doubt come from a small boy. Her eyes lead back to the young boy having a panic attack in front of the unconscious body of his sister.

She acted quickly, if she didn't the boy might have caused so much more than a crack in a tree. She slid in front of the boy and took his arms in her hands gently. Every ounce of healer training tuned her into the calming person she had to be.

"Eric do you remember me? I'm you Mum's friend Martha. We met when you were young." The boy didn't take his eyes off of the body of his sister and Martha was forced to continue. "You played with my sons James and Joseph. Do you remember?"

This got Eric's attention.

"Good, keep looking at me. You're going to be fine your sister is going to be fine. You know that I have a sister? I do and I come and stay with her every other summer and that is why I keep running into you. Now my sister had an accident to once and she was fine. And your sister is going to be fine too. But I need you to take deep breaths." She took an exaggerated breath and was overjoyed when the boy joined her and the tiny noises of the tree moving behind her ceased.

Distraction was always the key to medicine.

* * *

One broke arm, a sprained ankle, and concussion. That was all of the damage my poor twin suffered. I personally was relieved it was so little, and I knew my parents felt the same way. But Lily was pissed, she blamed Petunia for her injures, and while I agreed full hearted, the silent treatment between them was starting to get annoying.

"Lily?" I called walking into our shared room.

I had seen her come here, but it didn't seem like she was here.

"Under here." Lily's soft voice called out.

I crawled to her purple bed and lifted the skirt up carefully. There, laying under her bed with a pillow under her head, was my particularly odd little sister.

"What are you doing?" I cocked my head to one side.

The little red head let out a sigh that seem too big for her tiny body to produce. "I started hiding here because it was the only place that Petunia would never check, but then I realized how quiet it was. So now it's my think place."

I stared at her for a Mument as what she was saying sunk in and started to make sense. I had a feeling that we would need a place like that when things started to get crazy, a place where we could think without interruption.

"Scoot over." I slid right next to her, my head sharing her pillow.

I kept my eyes on the bed frame above us, but I could feel Lily smiling at me. Her free hand snaked down to mine and threaded our fingers.

I would protect my sister, my twin, my best friend from every threat that would harm her and that included slightly insane dark lords.

* * *

**Question- **What do you think Eric's patronus would be?

* * *

**AN- **I hope you liked that! I'm slightly worried that this chapter might be a bit confusing, so if you have questions leave a review and I'll try and get back to you. The Potters are not going to be in the story until Hogwarts come along, but the next chapter will feature a certain greasy git!

Lots of love

Scarlett


	5. Crazy Great Uncle Wilfred

**AN- **Thank you all for all your lovely reviews! This is probably the fastest I've ever updated this story so don't get used to this. This particular chapter has a lot of things most self-inserts never address, so yeah. Also keep in mind this story is set in the 1960's! So anything that seems weird was pretty normal in the 1960's! I think.

**Disclaimer- **I don't own Harry Potter and I never will, but I own Eric, Jack, Jake, and Joseph.

**Warnings- **Self-insert, future slash, mentions of slash, Male OC.

* * *

Age seven

Sleeping Beauty. One of the many Disney princess movies that all twenty-first century children grew up binge watching. I loved the movie in my first life, my nanny at the time thought that I was in love with Aurora, but in truth it was Prince Philip that caught my interest. Alas kids grow up and I was no exception. In fact I hadn't even thought about the story for almost 16 years. Then one day it was showed on our brand-new color TV and Lily fell head over heels.

She became so obsessed, in fact, that Mum decided that it would be a wonderful Halloween surprise if she were to dress us as the main characters. The main characters that were in_ love_!

"Mum, it's weird." I complained as she put the finishing touches on my vest.

"It's not weird." She was getting close to the end of her rope, I could hear it.

"It's a little weird." Dad agreed from his spot on the couch, barely even glancing up from his newspaper.

Mum gave an angry huff and continued to fuss over my already perfect costume.

"If you think it's too weird." Lily appeared, clinging onto the doorframe like a timid anime girl. "Then we can go back to dressing up like Alice and the mad hatter."

The thought looked like it deeply devastated her, and I couldn't bear to upset her. Plus she looked so much belter in the Aurora dress, and I wouldn't have to wear a hat and mess up my perfect paper boy hair cut in the Phillip costume.

I gave a sigh, just to show how much it pained me. "Fine, we'll go as the sleeping beauty couple."

Lily let out a high pitched squeal and ran into a hug with me, completely knocking Mum's insistent hands off of my vest.

"I just have one condition." I locked eyes with Mum. "Since we have the outfits from the woods scene, we have to learn the dance."

The response was immediate. Lily and Mum gasped in perfect allusion, both gazing at me like I had just declared that Christmas was coming early. Lily pulled me back into a hug, before starting to bounce and thank me over and over, while Mum started to mummer about dancing teachers and lessons.

Dad didn't share their enthusiasm. In fact he didn't have much of a reaction at all. Unless you count the suspicious look he gave me over his newspaper that clearly stated that an idea was starting form in his head. An idea that may cause our perfect life to crumble.

* * *

Age eight

_John _

It was date night for John and Rose, and it was the first time they would be leaving the kids with a babysitter for such an extended amount of time. Rose was fretting, but John wasn't too worried. Petunia would be the only one to cause problems and Eric could always find a way to send her stomping to her room. And the babysitter had the number of the restaurant if something extreme happened.

It's not like they were going far anyway. They would only be a few blocks away at the fundraiser for the Police Department that John worked for. It would be full of boring small talk and he was sure that they would be home early anyway.

Rose was placing in the diamond earrings John had gifted her for their tenth anniversary just as he was finishing with his cufflinks. John made eye contact with his lovely wife, and he was just about to ask if she was ready to go when the door opened.

Eric stepped into the room looking as if he had a specific question. But he seemed to completely lose track of his mind when his eyes connected with Rose's dress. "Are you wearing that to the fundraiser?"

Rose glanced down at herself a bit self-consciously. "Is there something wrong with my dress?"

The boy gave an awkward shrug. "It's just not the color I would chose."

Rose swiftly rose from her vanity and glided over to her open closet doors and hovered like a butterfly testing whether or not to land. "Which one would be better?"

Eric hesitated, his eyes running over every option presented to him. "That one." He finally chose, pointing to a light blue one that was slightly longer than the one Rose had on. "It will bring out your eyes and dad has a tie that will match."

John's mouth tightened as more proof was presented before him. "Did you come in here for something Eric?"

The boy looked startled, but quickly regained his nerve and faced his dad. "I was wondering if we were allowed to have some cake after dinner."

"Of course." Rose nodded, smiling down at their son.

Eric nodded and quickly exited the room.

John gave Rose a look, crossing his arms.

"It doesn't mean anything John." She sighed.

It wasn't a particularly old argument compared to some, but the fact that it had lasted since last Halloween was impressive for the two. Ever since Eric had asked for dancing lessons, John had been worried. He had went to Rose, but she had shut him down saying that plenty of men loved to dance. But the worry persisted. Evidence would pop up and John would try his best to ignore it, but in the end he would always end up talking to Rose and she always turned him off of the subject. This though, this was much to incriminating.

"Stop it." Rose spun around, her new dress spinning and an accusing finger pointed right at him. "Stop thinking like a detective!"

He sighed and looked away unable to look her in the eye. "I _am_ a detective."

"Not to your son you're not!" The kind hearted woman practically growled.

"But what if I'm right." John asked the blue carpet.

Rose straighten up, her high heels making her look all that more intimidating. "Then we will _support _him and _not_ act like my aunt Patty did."

Rose's aunt Patty, she was like the check mate of any argument the couple had about their kids. She was the one person in the family that was never invited when the Evan's served Christmas dinner. She was the woman that inspired Rose to be her exact opposite. The woman that threw her sixteen year old son out of her house when he told her his secret.

John understood Rose's side, he had nothing against her cousin Jack and his partner Jace they were kind and funny. But this was his son. His son that was named after his little brother. And he saw how hard life was for Jack and Jace, and didn't want that for his son. He didn't want to lose his son.

* * *

That was a mistake, I knew that, but I couldn't just not help my Mum with clothing. She needed to know that the dress was wrong for her. But I had seen dad's face. It was the same face he wore every time I did something that hinted at my orientation.

I didn't plan to tell them, at least, until I had lost my virginity, and the fact that they were already suspecting scared me. I had no idea how they were going to react.

"Okay kids we're going." Mum bent down and kissed us all on the head. She started to prattle off useless directions to the babysitter while dad tried to steer her towards the door.

I loved my parents. I didn't want to lose them.

* * *

Christmas had come again and for the first time in my life, it was our turn to host Christmas dinner for Mum's side of the family. Robinsons were filling our house by the bucket full. There were 4 aunts and 6 uncles and 9 cousins and 2 grandparents, all from my Mum's side of the family. Most I was just meeting and Lily and I were a bit over whelmed. Luckily on my dad's side there was only my Nan and pops, and I had known them since I was a baby.

After what felt like eternity, the steady stream of Robinsons ended with the arrival of two men. Mum welcomed them in with open arms, and immediately led them over to me.

"Jack, Jace, this is my son Eric." Her smile told me to sit and entertain them. "I think you'll get along." She almost forced them down in the seat across from me, before running back towards the kitchen.

The man on the right had the classic Robinson blue eyes, so I assumed that he was the cousin Jack. But who was the other man?

He had none of the attributes I had learned to identify Robinsons, his hair was too dark and his skin looked like it tan instead burned, plus I hadn't heard his name once in the gossip of the family, so he must be a friend or a . . . spouse.

Of course.

My eyes focused themselves on the matching bracelets on the men's wrists. Gay people of this century may not be able to get legally married, but that doesn't mean they didn't want to show that they are going to be together forever. But it was still the 1960's, rings would be too obvious, so go the next best things. Bracelets.

"Is it just me or did she seem a bit too excited to get rid of us?" Jace asked in an American accent, looking suspiciously after Mum.

Jack shook his head, a slightly panicked look in his eyes. "No, Rose has always been my favorite cousin, she even told me that she wanted to be the exact opposite of my mother."

The sad look transferred over to Jace's face. "Jack-"

"Don't worry." I interrupted whatever speech the American man had for his lover. "Mum dumped you on me so you can give her the inside scope."

Both men snapped their heads to me, as if they had forgotten I was there.

"What do you mean?"

I was starting to think that Jace was the most confident out of the two of them.

I smiled at them, and cocked my head to the side in the perfect picture of innocence. "She wants you to tell her if dad is right about me being gay."

"What?" Jack croaked out. "How old are you?"

"Eight." I smirked as the two slumped like the weight of the world had been dropped on them.

"No one can know if they are gay or not when they're eight." Jack protested weakly.

Jace rose an eyebrow, eyeing me. "I did."

"Do _you_ know?" Jack asked.

I smirked and place a finger to my lips. "Spoilers."

* * *

Just as they were the last to arrive, Jace and Jack were the last of the Robinson clan to leave. But I didn't leave their side for one second the entire night, just to make sure Mum couldn't ask them what they think. Even as they were standing at the door about to go, I could tell Mum was just dying to ask. And the annoyance was coming off of her in waves, which meant my pay back was done. But I really wanted to see if she would cave with me standing next to her.

"Never do that to me again Rosie." Jack begged as he pulled out of the hug.

Mum's eyes flickered down to me, then smiled at her cousin. "I have no idea what you mean Jackson."

Oh, his full name. A warning if I ever heard one.

Jace sighed from next to his lover. "He means the fact that you left us with your _eight_ year old son so we could determine whether or not he's gay."

Mum's eyes grew wider than saucers and quickly turned to me. She looked like she wanted to cover my ears and make me forget what I just heard. I just smirked up at her.

"He's the one that told us what you were up to." Jace continued from over her shoulder.

My smirk grew with Mum's eyes. "I'm going to go say night to dad. Love you!"

With that I turned on my heel and glided over to the doors of the kitchen, but just as I was about to open the door I heard my Pop's voice.

"Send him to your Uncle Wilfred's farm over the summer. If that doesn't man him up, nothing will."

* * *

Age nine

"I'M NOT GOING!" My grip in the doorframe was like iron. It didn't matter how hard dad pulled, I wasn't going to some farm in the middle of nowhere, _especially_ if Lily wasn't coming with me.

Dad gave another tug. "It's only for seven weeks!"

"THAT'S FOREVEVER!" I screamed, tightening my grip.

Dad sighed and let me go slack. But wasn't going to fall for it, I used the opportunity to crawl father into the front door.

"You'll get to use a gun."

I pause my grudge like movements. "A gun?"

"Yep." I could hear the smirk in his voice. "And I bet you could get really good."

I knew I shouldn't give up now, not when I could get out of his grip with one tug. But getting to shoot things sounded really fun.

"Fine." I subsided, letting go of the door.

* * *

Six weeks left of torture

_Lily_

A week. It had been a week since Eric left and Lily already found herself hanging out with the enemy. To be fair, it was longest she had ever been separated from her twin, and she wasn't even allowed to call him.

It was terrible. Lily had discovered so many things since he left, but she had no one to share them with but Petunia. That's how she found herself on a certain playground showing her sister the new discovered talents.

"Stop it!" shrieked Petunia.

"It's not hurting you." Said Lily, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it on the ground. Eric would have been delighted with the trick.

"It's not right." Said Petunia, but her eyes had followed the flower's flight to the ground and lingered upon it. "How do you do it?"

Lily could hear the longing in her sister voice and she couldn't help but miss Eric. He would have smiled and told her to keep practicing. He wouldn't have been jealous.

"It obvious, isn't it?" A boy wearing the most particular outfit jumped out from behind the bushes.

Petunia shrieked and ran back to the swings, but Lily ignored her surprise and stayed where she was.

"What's obvious?" Lily asked, noting the blush on the boy's cheeks and thought about hot it must be in the big coat.

The boy seemed excited, he glanced at Petunia and lowered his voice. "I know what you are."

Confusion clouded over Lily's mind. "What do you mean?"

"You're . . . you're a witch." He whispered.

Lily was affronted. Never before had someone been so rude to her face. "That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"

She turned, nose in the air, and marched off towards her sister.

"No!" said the boy. Flapping after the girls with the large coat making him look like a bat.

Lily considered him, and felt united in Petunia's disapproval as they both held onto one of the swing poles like it was the safe place in tag.

"You are." Insisted the boy. "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard."

He obviously hadn't been following her for _too_ long, Eric would noticed things like that.

Petunia laughed in her special way that made you feel like you were doused in cold water.

"Wizard!" She shrieked, her courage returning now that she had recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down on Spinners End by the river," she told Lily, it was obvious that she thought very little of the address. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying." Said Snape, looking very hot and uncomfortable and dirty haired in the bright sun. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway." He added spitefully, "You're a muggle."

Neither girls understood the phrase, but they couldn't mistake the tone.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" She stated shrilly.

Lily obeyed her sister, but couldn't help but think about what Eric would do.

* * *

_Dear Lily,_

_Life on this farm has been torture. I always thought that the north was supposed to be cold, not blazing hot. I have double the freckles and sunburns that will never heal. Our great uncle Wilfred is crazy, like threating me with starvation, crazy. I'm not sure if I can survive much longer, I haven't even got to touch a gun like dad promised. I miss you so much and I hope that Tuney isn't being too terrible. Just remember that she has no control over anything you say or do. And all those threats she keeps spewing out about Mum forbidding things is crap. I wish I was home, where I could just spend the summer playing with you and reading. I miss books. _

_I miss you so much and hope this gets to you sooner than I predict it will._

_Lots of love_

_Eric_

_PS: I think that these sheep are like the ones on the cyclops's island, they keep eyeing me like I'm food. _

* * *

Four weeks left of hell

Lily still wasn't sure why she had went back to Severus that day, maybe it was the loneliness of Eric being gone, but whatever it had been, she didn't regret it. Severus became the closest friend she ever had outside of her family. She just hoped that she wasn't being naive by believing his stories.

They duo was sitting by the river in the small thicket of trees, near the tree Lily fell out of years before. The two children sat facing each other, crossed legged on the ground. Severus had removed the coat he always wore; his old smock not looking particular in the innocent eyes of Lily.

". . . and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside of school, you get letters."

"But I _have_ done magic outside of school!"

"We're all right we haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven," he nodded importantly, "and they start training you, then you've got to be careful."

There was a little silence. Lily reached forward and picked up a fallen twig, twirling it in the air, and imaging sparks trailing from it. She let the twig drop and leaned in toward her friend, and said, "It is _real _isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is _real_, isn't it?"

"It's real for us," said Severus. "Not for her. But we'll get the letter, you and me.'

"Really?" whispered Lily.

"Definitely," said Severus, and struck a confident pose that made Lily feel a bit better.

"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered.

"Normally," said Severus. "But you're muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."

There was that word again, Muggle-born. Lily knew that it meant that her family couldn't do magic like her, but surely her twin shared this gift with her? She couldn't image a world where Eric wasn't by her side. But she hadn't found the courage to ask Severus, in fact she hadn't even told him about Eric yet. It felt wrong, she knew that Eric wouldn't like her getting this close to another person, he would tell her not to trust the people you don't know everything about. Though she wasn't sure if that applied to Severus, after all she was getting closer and closer to him every day, while Eric's letters were getting farther and farther apart.

"Does it make a difference, being muggle-born?" She hoped not.

Severus hesitated. His eyes moving over her. "No, it doesn't make any difference."

"Good." Said Lily, relaxing slightly. She had been worried that wizards would look down on her.

No one looked down on her when Eric was at her side. She stretched out on the ground and gazed up at the canopy of leaves overhead. She was slightly aware that Severus was talking again, but she was too busy thinking about Eric.

Lily knew she was lucky that she had the family she did, but would Eric hate her when he found out about magic, like Tuney? She didn't think so, but he surprised her sometimes. Severus didn't have the family she had, his parents didn't get along like hers did.

"How are things at your house?" Lily asked.

"Fine," he said.

"They're not auguring anymore?"

"Oh yes, they're arguing," said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart. "But it won't be that long and I'll be gone."

It was two years, it seemed like a long time to Lily. "Doesn't your dad like magic?"

"He doesn't like anything, much," said Severus.

"Severus?"

A smile found its way on his face.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again."

"What d'you want to know about them for?'

"If I use magic outside of school-"

"They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too-"

He turned red, making Lily wonder if maybe he was getting hot again.

A rustling noise revealed Petunia, who had been hiding behind a tree and lost her footing.

"Tuney!" Said Lily, maybe her sister was here to make up.

Severus jumped to his feet. "Who's spying now?" He shouted. "What d'you want?"

"What's that you're wearing, anyway?" she said, pointing at Severus's chest rudely. "Your mum's blouse?"

With crack a branch over Petunia fell. Lily screamed: The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears.

"Tuney!'

But Petunia was running away. Lily rounded on Severus.

"Did you make that happen?"

"No." He looked both defiant and scared.

"You did!" She started to back away from. "You did! You hurt her!"

"No- no I didn't!"

Lily wasn't convinced by the lie, she gave the boy one last burning look before running after her sister.

* * *

_Dear Lily,_

_I had to shave to sheep! I didn't want to, I tried to convince crazy great uncle Wilfred that I shouldn't do it. But after one night of not eating I caved. I feel so dirty now. I want to go home, but dad is convinced that this making me grow up or something. Could you please tell mum and dad I need to come home? Really try and persuade them into letting me home. I miss you, I miss good food, miss home, and I even miss Tuney for goodness shake. Please tell me that your summer is going better, even with you being stuck all alone with Petunia. I hope at least you have managed to evade the cruelty of the sun, I haven't. I miss my pale freckle-less skin._

_I miss you so much _

_Eric_

_PS: I learned a cool trick I want to show you._

_PPS: I was right about the sheep, one of them tried to take a bite out of me when I was shaving it._

* * *

Two weeks till the ride was over

I stared down the barrel of the shotgun, my finger on the trigger, but I couldn't bring myself to shoot the innocent doe that was grazing in the front yard. It was the first time I got to hold a gun all summer, it wasn't what I was expecting.

"Shoot it." Crazy great uncle Wilfred snarled in my ear, his tobacco stained breath making me want to gag.

I couldn't shoot it, the doe was too cute and un-expecting for me to just murder.

"I can't." I admitted, moving the gun barrel down.

I could kill anything, and I hadn't eaten for days because of it.

Wilfred let out a dog like growl. "Do it, or so help me you won't eat for the rest of time you're here."

Later when Mum asked why I made my next move I would make the excuse that I was hungry and wasn't thinking straight. When dad asked, I would tell him that he had been giving me threats like this all summer and I finally snapped.

But the simple truth behind me lifting the shot-gun up and pointing it at crazy great uncle Wilfred, had nothing to do with food. It had more to do with the fact he had power over me all summer and now it was my turn to have power.

I hadn't developed heterosexuality like dad hoped. Nope, instead I developed a power complex.

* * *

**Question-** I'll give you brownie points if you can guess, what's Eric going to do next?

* * *

**AN-** So there you go! I promised you Snape and I gave you Shape. I'm not his biggest fan, but he needs to Beth to help Lily turn into who she's meant to be. That doesn't mean that this will turn into a Snily fic! It will Jily and that's the ended of it!

Lots of love Scarlett

PS- Anything you recognize from the book is from the book.


	6. Take Me to Church

**AN- **Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and feedback! One of you pointed out to me that it didn't make sense that no one has seemed to notice Eric act like an adult. I did this a bit purposefully because I don't particularly like when other self-inserts stories focus on that. But I realize my mistake in not mentioning it at all, so this chapter will address that and the rest of the story will have people noticing it every once in a while.

**Warnings- **Eventual slash, self-insert OC, eventual Jily, religious elements, slight (but not untrue) Snape bashing, mentions of slash, and slight violence.

**Disclaimer-** I do not own any characters or themes you recognize from the Harry Potter books.

* * *

_Father Jacobs_

"Forgive me father for I have sinned."

Father Jacobs gave a slight shock at the youngness of the voice and glanced over through the screen to peek at the child in his confession. Red hair shone in the light from the window behind them and Father Jacobs thought back to the only other person in the town who had such red hair. Johnathan Evans, the man that joined his church after the war ended, the man the priest hadn't seen but three times since his two youngest had been baptized.

What was the child's name again? He knew the girl's name was Lily, but what was the boy's?

"It has been never since my last confession and I am only I here because Mom thinks that I need forgiveness from the Lord."

"And you don't agree?" Father Jacobs wondered.

The boy turned his head and met the priest's eyes through the screen. "I always thought that you were only supposed to confess for sins, and I don't think what I did was falls under any of the seven sins."

"Care to explain."

"Not particularly. Can't you just pretend that I did, give me penance, and we'll both be on our marry way?"

Father Jacobs smiled at the defection.

"That not really how this works." He said. "Plus, don't you want to get it off of you chest?"

A small smirk settled on the young Evan's face that made him look suspiciously fox like. "You really know how to get people to talk don't you?"

"Sometimes I need to get reluctant kids to confess like their Mother wants them too."

The boy gave a short laugh and broke his gaze from the priest's to look back through the stained glass of the confessional gate. Father Jacobs knew that the red head couldn't see through the glass, but it seemed as if the boy was gazing at his mother on the other side.

"I don't think what I did _needs_ to be forgiven."

"And what did you do?"

The boy gave a small sigh. "I was sent to my great uncle Wilfred's farm up north for the summer, my Dad had some idea in his head that since he and his brother were sent there that it would be an experience for me, like it would help me grow up or something."

Father Jacobs watched the boy, entrapped by how old the nine year old seemed.

"But maybe Wilfred was different when they were little, maybe he was saner, I hope that was the case and Dad didn't send me to that mad man knowingly."

"You should respect your elders," The priest scolded lightly, "They have been through things you have yet to understand, your father especially."

The boy turned to face Father Jacobs once again through the screen, his green eyes catching the light so that they seemed to glow. "On my eighth birthday I got a gift from my Aunt Savannah, the one Uncle Eric was married to"- That was the child's name, Father Jacobs suddenly remembered: Eric.-"It was the medal that he got when he died saving all those men from enemy gunfire."

The priest knew the story well, it was one of those things that stuck with you, not so much the story but the way his brother told it in the confessional all those years ago. The way Johnathan blamed himself.

"I have it framed in me and Lily's room, but I can't find it in me to really look at it, or even think about it." Eric continued. "Everyone _expects _me to be like him, they _expect_ me to be proud of a man I never met, and they _expect_ me to make it my life goal to live up to my Uncle's shadow. But I don't want to. I just want to live _my_ life, not some dead guy's I'm named after."

The boy sounded close to tears and Father Jacobs took a moment to reevaluate his own life. His adopted son, who was technically his nephew, was named Daniel after Father Jacobs before his mother passed away. He never tried to push his life on the boy, but he didn't think that the Evans would either. Was he forcing is life on his son?

"Father?" The boy gazed at him curiously.

Father Jacobs gave a small smile. "That's not what you came in here to confess, not wanting to be like your uncle is not a sin, your mother knows that, and no amount of deflection is going to distract me from your confession." The priest could think about his own problems later.

"Thought it might make you think about your own son." The boy muttered almost inaudibly, glaring at Father Jacobs half-heartily.

He gave the boy a smirk of his own. "Smarter men have tried."

"Do people usually get forced into confession by their mum's, or do they just lose their nerve once they face the stain glass window of Jesus?"

"That's not Jesus, that's Saint Augustine."

"Huh." Eric didn't sound half as worried as Father Jacobs was.

Father Jacobs sighed and pulled his mind back to the reason he boy was here. "You're trying to distract me again."

"No." Eric denied. "I honestly thought that it was Jesus."

"I have no doubt, your parents have been lazing on bringing you kids to church."

Eric gave him a slightly insulted look. "It's not their fault, Mum has been starting up her business and Dad is now a detective; add that to having three kids, they barely have any time to think about themselves, let alone going to church on Sunday."

"I'm not critiquing your parents, child," Father Jacobs assured, "I'm simply stating the facts."

The boy gave a huff.

"You still haven't finished your confession."

"Fine." Eric practically growled. "So I was at my great uncle Wilfred's house and it wasn't going well. Every morning he would get me up at _sunrise_ and give me _grits_ for breakfast. Then he would give me a task for the day, and I wouldn't be allowed to _eat_ again 'till I finished it."

Father Jacobs was starting to get worried about where this was going.

"Yesterday, about two weeks until I was scheduled to go home, he put a gun in my hand and told me to shot the doe that was grazing in the front lawn. He told me that I wouldn't have to kill the rooster that he was denying me food for, if I killed the doe. I was tempted but I didn't want to kill the deer, so I lowered my gun and told him no; he responded that if I didn't shoot it I wouldn't eat for the rest of my stay. I was tired of his threats, so I lifted the gun-"

"Tell me you _not_ here to confess the murder of your uncle." Father Jacobs practically begged.

Eric gave him an odd look through the screen. "Would you be able to go to the police if I did?"

It was a good point, and honestly Father Jacobs wasn't sure whether or not the kid was serious.

"Did you?" He repeated, not answering the difficult question.

Eric waited another few seconds before responding with a chuckle. "Of course not!"

Father Jacobs couldn't help the small sigh of relief that he would not have to have to keep that secret.

"All I did was tie him to a chair, raid his kitchen, and let him starve for a few days. It really wasn't that big of a deal. Definitely not big enough to warrant forgiveness from a priest."

Father Jacob's relief disappeared, though it was definitely better than killing the man, it was still worse than he hoped. "You not asking _my_ forgiveness, you're asking _God's_."

The red head cocked his head to the side. "But I'm confessing to _you_."

"And I will tell _God_." Father Jacobs continued for him.

The boy let out a sigh of his own. "That makes _no_ sense."

* * *

"Forgive me Father for I have sinned."

This voice was one Father Jacobs knew well, one he would never forget.

"It has been seven years since my last confession." Johnathan Evans sighed.

Father Jacobs took in the profile of the tired looking veteran and couldn't help but wonder if this was going to have anything to do with the young boy that had exited the confessional just moments before. "Tell me what's troubling you child."

Johnathan took a deep breath as he always did before a confession. "My son has always been different. Since the day he was born he has seemed more mature and put together than Lily and Petunia ever were. At first we thought it was just his personality, but as he grew up I started to notice how much he reminded me the rebellious teenagers that we bring into the station for minor infractions, like tagging."

Now that he motioned it, Father Jacobs could really see what he meant. While the young Evans was very childish, it was almost like he was a rebellious teen instead of a nine year old child.

"When he started going to school his teachers would comment on his odd behavior. One was worried that he was bipolar, saying that he would be mature and completely above the others at one moment, then the next he would be throwing crayons at an another boy because he said that Lily's eyes were weird.

"Savanah likes to joke that he's an old soul, but I have never heard of people growing up acting like an adolescent." The man chucked lightly at his own joke, before his somber aura returned.

Father gave him a sad smile through the screen. "I have a feeling that you aren't here to talk about your son's odd personality."

Johnathan shock his head slowly. "I have never had anything against gays, Father."

The priest's mind wheeled at the sudden change in subject. "We all are entitled to our own opinions."

"Not even from a religious stand point." Johnathan continued as if Father Jacobs had not said anything. "Like Rose's cousin Jack, we have always gotten along fine. His partner Jace is great company and always knows how to break the ice. They're great guys."

Father Jacobs stayed quiet, not quite sure where the redhead was going with his rant.

"I never thought I had anything against gays, Father." Johnathan turned to face the priest he had known for almost twenty years. "That is until I started to think my son was one."

* * *

The church had no artificial lighting, and I couldn't help but admire the feel of sitting in a building lighted only by candles. As it was a Wednesday afternoon there were very few people occupying the rows of seat I had seen filled the brim with Catholics.

It wasn't often that we went to Sunday service, only really when Mum's Mum was in town and we were all on our very best behavior, so the structure was still unfamiliar and I couldn't wait to go home. Not that I could really do anything at home, since I was grounded till the end of time, but Lily was there and I missed her so much.

"Ten more to go Eric." Mum brought my mind back to the beads in my hand with a sharp reprimand.

Sighing I turned the next bead in my hand and tried not to stutter over the Hell Mary's I had been set to do by Father Jacobs to make up for my sins. Because the little metal beads were going make up for tying my great uncle to a chair at gunpoint.

I really didn't understand religion.

"Why do I have too?" I whined. "We never go to church anyway."

A few old woman doing prayers sent us disapproving looks.

Mum sighed. "We have been slacking in our worship, but no longer. We are going to be good Catholics from this day forward. Now finish your penance so we can get home to your sister."

I huffed, turning back to the prayer beads in my hand. The only comfort in the sea of mind-numbing work of repeating the same nonsensical phase 75 times was that Dad was sitting next to me doing the same.

Our posture nearly identical, but while I was clumsily making my way through the prayer he was doing it as smoothly as if he had done if a million times before. And maybe he had; I really didn't know my Father nearly as well as I thought I did five weeks ago.

He also looked a lot guiltier than I had felt since I called Mum to come get me. Not because I wanted help dealing with Wilfred or anything. It was more of the fact that we had ran out of food and I would rather face my angry Mum than go another day without food.

* * *

_Snape _

Severus was not feeling like himself in any way shape or form. In fact he was anticipating the end of the little world him and Lily had made for themselves that fast approaching.

Waiting in the field him and Lily had been enjoying for the last couple of months, he could help but think that the happiness he and his first friend shared had been short lived. Severus knew that their little bubble would have to be popped eventually, though he had hoped that it could live longer than a summer. But nothing ever seemed to go his way, so why would this be any different.

Perhaps he didn't deserve to have a friend like Lily. With her fiery hair and sparkling emerald eyes; how could he warrant a girl as beautiful as Lily?

Then again, could he really give up the best friend he ever had, the _only_ friend that he had, because she already had someone that took the place of him in her heart? Could he give up the only girl he would ever love just because she already had a best friend?

No, he could not. He would face this _Eric _that Lily had told him about and tell him that he is no longer needed. Lily now belongs to Severus and he wouldn't give her up for the world.

He would fight this _former_ best friend if he had to, and he would win! Then he would tell Lily how he really felt and— No, that was too far. It wouldn't do to overwhelm the girl.

Severus was ready for this confrontation, all that was left to do was wait.

* * *

Dread was filling my stomach as Lily led me through the woods behind our house. She claimed that she wanted me to meet someone, and that was fine, we should have more friends outside of ourselves. But not if they wanted to replace me and not if it was who I thought it was.

Hopefully I was being too hasty in my assumptions, I mean I wasn't gone long enough for Lily to meet_ him_, was I?

Because if she befriended Severus Snape while I was at crazy great uncle Wilfred's farm, then that would set things in motion that could not be undone. After all it was Snape that told Voldemort about the prophecy. But it was also him who warned Dumbledore that Voldemort would go after Harry. Then on the other hand he was probably going to go dark no matter what and Lily shouldn't be exposed to that. But he was also a big part of making the strong woman that was willing to sacrifice herself for her son.

All and all, to say I had mixed feelings about the boy would be a bit of an understatement.

However, in reality, it all boiled down to one thing: if I allowed Lily and Snape to be friends, then they would get closer and closer until they were best friends. Then Lily would realize that she doesn't need me and I would lose her forever.

I couldn't let that happen. Lily was _my_ twin. Lily was _my_ sister. Lily was _my_ best friend. She was _mine_. And I wasn't about to let a greasy git like Severus Snape take her away from me.

"We're almost there." Lily called back, as I almost tripped over a log. "Sev and I have been coming here all summer, ever since Petunia tried to scare Sev off by mocking his mum."

Sev! Why didn't I get an adorable nickname?

"Tuney is really mean to him, but I don't really get why. Why does it matter where someone lives? Plus he had enough to deal with since his parents are always—never mind."

I seethed, now she was keeping secrets from me, all because of a boy she met less than two months ago!

Lily gave a nervous glance back, as if sensing my anger.

"I think you'll really like Sev, Eric." She said. "You too are a lot alike."

I scrunched up my nose, crossing my arms as we came to a stop.

"I doubt it." I muttered.

She gave me a pleading look. "At least _try_ to like him."

I sighed, looking up at the trees to avoid her puppy dog eyes, one look in those shimmering green eyes and I was done for.

Giving a sigh of her own Lily grabbed my hand and lead me through the last layer of trees to where the bane of my day waited.

* * *

"You're siblings!" Snape nearly yelled, completely startled.

"We're twins!" I corrected angrily.

The boy turned to Lily, his over long coat swirling around his small form.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

Lily shrugged, looking away. "I forgot."

An unpleasant, but all too familiar, feeling washed over me.

"You _forgot_ we're twins?" I whispered.

"She told me you were best friends." Snape said, crossing his arms.

I glared. "I didn't ask _you_."

"Eric!" Lily immediately scolded. "He was just trying to help!"

"Well I didn't want _his_ help!" I yelled. "I was asking _you_!"

Lily growled. "I didn't forget we're twins! _Okay_?! I just forgot to mention it!"

"Forgot to mention it? How do you forget to mention that?"

"I just did!"

"No you didn't!"

"Fine!" She huffed, crossing her arms and stamping her foot. "I _didn't _forget to mention it! I purposely didn't tell him so he wouldn't think you're like Tuney."

"I'm _nothing_ like Tuney!"

"_Exactly_!"

"Fine." I conceded.

Lily took a deep calming breath. "Good."

"Good."

"Good?" Snape asked.

We both turned to our other companion, and I took the moment I didn't have before to take him in. He looked almost exactly like I remember from the book. Standing a few centimeters shorter than me, his greasy hair right about at eye level, I was able to look down on him in a way I hoped was intimidating. The heavy looking oversized black trench coat almost brushed the ground while the white blouse underneath made me wonder if he got all his clothing from his parent's wardrobe. In his onyx eyes was a determined gleam, almost as if he was mentally getting ready for a fight.

Like he had any chance of winning.

I extended a hand, trying my best to be nice-_ish_, for Lily's sake more than his.

"Eric Evans." I introduced.

The other boy hesitated in taking my hand, but after a quick glance at Lily he complied.

"Severus Snape."

Letting out a squeal, Lily tackled in a hug from the side.

"Yay! Now we can tell you all about witches and wizards and Hogwarts!"

The boy in front of my paled to the point I was starting worried he would faint. I guess Lily wasn't supposed to tell me about that.

* * *

**Question- **What is your opinion on cannon James?

* * *

**AN-** So I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter and hopefully the next one will be up soon. As for Hogwarts, the letter will come in the next chapter. Martha and her family will be in the one after that, if they aren't in the next one. Also remember that John grew up in another time and he has conflicted feelings about his son maybe being gay. He's not a bad guy, so don't hate him too much, he'll get better, promise. And the next chapters will be mostly in Eric's POV, I've realized I've gotten a little caught up in showing other peoples view. Not that I'll completely erase that part or anything, I'll just do it less. The cannon is really going to start to change once they get to Hogwarts so don't worry, things are going to change! But Lily and Eric aren't going dark, sorry to those who was hoping for that! :)

Anyway, sorry for a long author's notes in this chapter, thanks for reading and please review with any questions, comments, or noticed mistakes! And don't forget to answer the question above, I love hearing your guys' answers!

Lots of Love

Scarlett


	7. A Very Important Message

Hello all!

So I understand how a lot of you are made that this is a authors note, but it's very **important** you read this. Though I know, as a reader myself, that many of you are just going to skim this. So **everything you need to know will be in bold!** Everything else will be for you guys who want more details. So this story started out as an idea last year for and OC/OC fic. I had this whole idea of who Eric would turn out to be and how he would be with James's little brother Joseph. But then as I wrote, things started to go crazy and the story, and the character, went downhill. I hated the way this was going and wanted to change it. So I planed to rewrite the story, having it still be Eric and the basic plot. But then I found I just couldn't make myself do it. I had given up on the story. So I was talking to my sister and she gave me the idea of **completely starting over. **So that's what I'm doing. Stepping on Butterflies is **hereby** **abandoned. **But don't worry there will be a **new story**. The character will **still be Lily's twin. **The pairing will be **Regulus Black/SI OC. **The character will be the same in principle, but also more well rounded and generally better written. His name will be **Briar Evans,** Bri for short.

**I really hope you give it a chance, but understand if you don't. The new story will be named Lilies in the Thorns, and I really hope to see you all there!**

**Love you all!**

**Scarlett**

P.S. The story will also be written in third person FYI.

P.P.S I know that I'm not aloud to post a chapter that's only an authors note, so here's a **preview of the first chapter of Lilies in the Thorns.**

* * *

He died before he could live. Well, as much as he would have liked to. He still wanted to do so much. He wanted to go skydiving and find this _one_ people wrote so much about. He wanted go out in a bang, not a whimper. But you know what they say. If you want to God to laugh, make plans. He must of made too many plans.

He was born into high class family Leeds, West Yorkshire England. His parents were young and pressured into an unhappy marriage. He was a reminder of that. His father threw himself in his inherited company, his mother into a bottle. It was disgustingly cliche.

He was raised by nannies. Yes, nannies, plural. He enjoyed terrorizing them, and because of that they tended not to last longer than six months. He'd put dye in their shampoo, ran away while they took him out in public, steal all their underwear and staple it to the front of the house. He was the kind of kid they wrote movies about, and every nanny that came to him thought they would be his Marry Poppins. They never were.

There were a few downsides to his behavior, but the worst of them had to be the seclusion. Due to his habit of running from nannies, he was placed under house arrest for the majority of his childhood.

It was torture, at first. Then he had a nanny by the name of Amelia who introduced him to the wonders of having a library in your house. She was his favorite, and lasted longer than any of the others. Then, around the time he started secondary school, her sister feel sick and she left to take care of them. None of the others lasted half a year after that.

The library became his sanctuary, the bookstore his haven. He read like it was going out of style. Reading everything from teen vampire romances to classics. Friends stayed at school, never going deeper than complaining about teachers and homework, and books became his best friends.

That is, until shortly after he started puberty. Dreams started to get weird, and after his fifth dream about a certain blond Sytherin, he decided to dig deeper. Yep, that's right folks. He found out he was gay from erotic dreams about Draco Malfoy.

He was just awesome like that.

He had a few boyfriends after that, but none lasted too long. They were all teenage boys who barely cared about anything more than sex. He wanted something deeper. He wanted to find the deep, sometimes painful connection people wrote entire books around. The kind that people started wars over.

He didn't find it, not in that lifetime at least.

He was seventeen when he died in the same cliche way he was born. He was sitting in the backseat of his car, when a some asshole came out of nowhere and tee-boned him.

That was the end of Arron Garrett, and the birth of Briar Evans.


End file.
